


Paint Your Heart

by FortunesRevolver



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fluffy ugu romance time., In which Yusuke and Akira dazzle each other and are Dorks in Lurv., M/M, Rosebud Persona Zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24100102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FortunesRevolver/pseuds/FortunesRevolver
Summary: The current art show he’s at is by the grace of Ann. Early that morning, she’d sent him a picture of a flier she’d stumbled across while visiting Shiho with more winking emojis than he felt was strictly necessary for someone who knew exactly why it was he went to the shows. Despite her subtle teasing -- of all his friends -- she is the one who understands his pain the most, and he’s grateful for her support.
Relationships: Kitagawa Yusuke/Kurusu Akira, Kitagawa Yusuke/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 4
Kudos: 86





	Paint Your Heart

Art exhibitions aren’t frequent in Okina City, but each time one pops up, Akira makes sure he has at least one day to go. The exhibits are one of the few things in Okina City that don’t feel starkly different from Tokyo. 

Despite his best efforts, nothing seems to scratch the itch of longing that looms over him each day he’s away from the big city. Everything is just too different; even in the highest rated cafes, coffee is just a little off.

Art, however, stays the same. The rooms might be small, and the pieces themselves might change, but art is static in a way that makes him feel at ease; like he can almost pretend he’s back in Tokyo and once he’s finished, he’ll return to LeBlanc. It’s almost therapeutic in a way; the faint aroma of paint and floor polish, the odd silent bubbles that seem to surround each work of art, and the bright lighting that reflects off the spotless walls and floors.

The current art show he’s at is by the grace of Ann. Early that morning, she’d sent him a picture of a flier she’d stumbled across while visiting Shiho with more winking emojis than he felt was strictly necessary for someone who knew exactly why it was he went to the shows. Despite her subtle teasing -- of all his friends -- she is the one who understands his pain the most, and he’s grateful for her support.

“Welcome!” A young woman in a neat suit and hair tied back in a tight ponytail greets him with a smile and offers him a small map of the different rooms. “Thank you for coming today! Please enjoy yourself!”

Akira returns her greeting and heads for the first room. He feels a small rush of pride when he recognizes a few works of art he’s seen before and reaches for his phone. Yusuke would be tickled pink if he knew how much Akira’s eye for art had grown. He slips into the next room and ducks into a corner, intending on sending a quick message, but a flash of blue just outside his line of sight catches his attention and he looks up.

He’s standing just to the left of a giant wooden frame that boasts a large painting in deep shades of red, black, and silver. His gaze shifts and feels something catch in his throat.

He’s staring at...  _ himself? _

Dark eyes peer from behind a mask of silver with a confident smirk as flames of blue burst from behind a black trenchcoat, stretching beyond the line of his --  _ Joker’s _ , he reminds himself -- shoulders and extend to the edges of the frame.  _ They’re wings… _ he thinks in awe, wings that shimmer and shine, leaving the dark figure just behind him with glowing red eyes in shadow. It’s a scene only a few select people would know -- and only  _ one _ could possibly replicate to this level.

“It’s…”

“It’s one of my best, I think,” a voice speaks behind him, fond and familiar, “but I’ve yet to capture that smile of yours. Not perfectly, at least... Though I admit, this seems a better start than I could have hoped for.”

Akira turns on his heel as his eyes grow wide.  _ “Yusuke…?  _ What are you…? This is…”

“My latest work,” Yusuke responds, oblivious to the patrons that are now staring at them for making a commotion in the otherwise silent room. He looks proud of his fact, but barely pays his work a second glance as he looks down at Akira with warm eyes. “I admit, I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for the others… While the art is transported for free, the artists themselves must pay their own travel costs, and--”

A loud clatter echoes through the room when Akira’s phone hits the floor and his shoes squeal against the tile as he pushes himself forward and collides with a long, slender chest. He inhales deeply and it’s all there; paint, the musk of an enclosed space, cheap ramen, and even a faint tinge of coffee -- everything is there and so much more. 

“And now you’re here,” Akira finishes and feels the arms that have settled around his waist tighten. 

“...I am,” Yusuke admits and his voice grows softer. “Despite my best efforts, I simply can’t capture my greatest muse when I am so far away. Trying to mimic your likeness is all but impossible without you there.”

Akira coughs to try and cover a laugh as he rubs a rubs a palm over his eyes in a stubborn effort to keep them dry. “I send you pictures all the time, you know. Selfies whenever you want them.”

“You do, and it is one of the highlights of my day,” Yusuke admits with a nod and Akira feels his cheeks heat. Their picture exchanges had been mutual ever since their summer trip had ended; he’d long since lost count of just how many pictures were in the folder on his phone labeled:  _ My Heart. _

“However…”

“However?”

Yusuke lifts one of his arms and brings a hand to rest against Akira’s face. His thumb runs along the curve of his cheekbone and his expression seems to soften even further. “An image cannot compare.”

“...geez,” Akira shakes his head and buries his head in Yusuke’s shoulder with a warm chuckle. “Keep this up and  _ you’re _ going to be the suave one in this relationship. What will I contribute then?”

“Nothing less than everything,” Yusuke answers with such earnesty Akira feels his cheeks heat almost instantly. “You give me everything I could ever want, my muse.”

Akira groans and presses his face further into the curve of Yusuke’s neck. It’s taking everything he has not to grab Yusuke’s collar and drag him into enough kisses to leave them both breathless. But they’re in public, in the middle of somewhere where Yusuke thrives, and Akira would be remiss to sacrifice the chance to see it again just to answer a physical call.

They had plenty of time for that later -- he hoped.

Instead, he settles for dipping down to grab his phone and slips his hand into Yusuke’s to thread their fingers together. “Are you just here for the exhibition or…?”

“Ah…” Yusuke coughs and, much to Akira’s surprise, looks uncertain. “It seems my return ticket is dated for two weeks from now. I tried to contact Futaba about the error, but she has yet to return my calls.”

Akira nearly cheers; he’s going to owe Futaba something big for this, he’s sure, but two weeks with Yusuke is more than he can ask for. He couldn’t hope to return the favour easily. “Stay with me,” he insists with such force he feels Yusuke startle against him. “My room is big enough and my parents keep asking to meet you.”

“They do?” Yusuke asks, and the shock in his tone is almost heartbreaking. It doesn’t surprise Akira that the nervousness Yusuke showed when they first presented their relationship to Sojiro has risen again when it comes to his parents.

“They do,” Akira confirms and squeezes his hand in assurance. “My dad works late, but my mom is usually home these days. It gives her a lot of time to interrogate me about everything.”

“I see…” Yusuke hums and begins to move along the wall. His eyes linger on different works of art, his expression thoughtful as he murmurs compliments and thoughtful criticism alike under his breath. Despite his attempts to keep quiet, Akira can almost  _ feel _ the thrum of excitement flowing through him. 

“It is fortunate you’ve offered,” he admits when they leave the room. “I thought I might be stuck sleeping at the train station. No one told me any news of my lodgings. When Futaba told me you would undoubtedly be close, I admit…”

“You’d have to fight me  _ and _ my parents to stay in a hotel.” Akira says it so seriously, he worries for a moment Yusuke believes him. It is true, of course, that he’d hate to let Yusuke waste his money when his house is so close.

He just hopes…

“I would be most grateful, then,” Yusuke smiles. “My belongings are currently in the back room intended for artists to relax. I wasn’t sure when and if you’d arrive…”

“Ann told me,” Akira explains, “about the show, anyway. I had no idea…”

“That would be my fault. I… had wanted to surprise you. I didn’t expect that you’d arrive so soon, let alone find my work so quickly.”

“A gentleman thief only has a taste for the best of the best.”

Yusuke’s cheeks colour at the compliment, but his smile is glowing as he tugs Akira behind a potted plant and places a careful hand behind Akira’s head. “Your words are as honied as ever,” he hums and his eyes flick downward, then back up, “and while I realise it may be in bad taste to make such a request when I have already been honored with your presence… Before we continue, could I perhaps--”

Akira doesn’t give him time to finish. Lifting himself up onto his toes, he balances himself easily with one hand on Yusuke’s chest and slides the other into his silky hair. The light taste of mint lingers on Yusuke’s lips -- Gum? Mint? His toothpaste? -- and Akira can only sigh as he leans closer still.

“How I have missed this…” Yusuke murmurs when he finally pulls back and rests his forehead against Akira’s. 

“Mm,” Akira hums with a nod and his grin turns sly. “It’s too bad we ran into each other so early though.”

“Ah, yes, I suppose I am distracting you from the displays--”

“Nope,” Akira cuts him off quickly and shakes his head. “I just mean I’ve already found the finest piece of art in this entire building. What else could wow me now?”

It takes Yusuke several moments to realise Akira is talking about  _ him _ and Akira is rewarded with a delightfully bright shade of red that spreads over Yusuke’s entire face. 

Two weeks. They have two entire weeks.

Two weeks of finally feeling  _ home. _

**Author's Note:**

> Trying to capture Yusuke’s character is always a little difficult. He’s so blunt and direct with most of the group, but his words always feel so elegant and smooth around Akira. Even during his social link and the “dates,” he just seems to have this extra elegant feeling about him. And, Akira, well. Akira is Akira. He’s got suave, jokester, and soft boi all in one.
> 
> This piece was written for _Rosebud_ , a Persona zine dedicated to LGBT+ relationships in the series. If you'd like to know more about it, please visit the tumblr page linked below. This was the first Persona zine I was accepted into, so I was really excited to be back in the fandom. I hope you all enjoyed this work.
> 
> [Rosebud's tumblr page](https://rosebudpersonazine.tumblr.com/)


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